V50 Electrics : Car completely dead

[martins91]

Hello. Yet another fault. Couple days ago I left interior light on through night. Next morning car was completely dead. With jump leads started the car. Two days drove without faults. Then today I left car for 3 hours and when I came back it was again dead- couldn’t even disengage alarm, no crank no nothing. Again with leads get car going, drove back and wanted to charge the battery but couldn’t get car in garage, because it was dead again. And the glow plug relay was making cranking noise


Any ideas? Battery is couple months old

[andy_d]

dead battery
unless you used the correct points to jump start it, NOT the -ve and +ve terminals of the battery you could cause all sorts of issues for the ecm units in the car.
as it has gone flat again and again, replacement battery time.
Jumping it to get the car started may have damaged a cell, there maybe a failed/faulty cell , and as it keeps going flat, that sounds more liable

If there is any warranty on the battery taking it back to where you bought it may get it replaced. if not then its hand in wallet to buy one,, and a big reminder to not leave the lights on overnight

[martins91]

Originally Posted by andy_d

dead battery
unless you used the correct points to jump start it, NOT the -ve and +ve terminals of the battery you could cause all sorts of issues for the ecm units in the car.
as it has gone flat again and again, replacement battery time.
Jumping it to get the car started may have damaged a cell, there maybe a failed/faulty cell , and as it keeps going flat, that sounds more liable

If there is any warranty on the battery taking it back to where you bought it may get it replaced. if not then its hand in wallet to buy one,, and a big reminder to not leave the lights on overnight

Thanks.
I used + and - terminals..what’s wrong with that?
And the battery has warranty, so I could try that

[andy_d]

06 Starting and driving
Jump starting

Jump starting the vehicle
Follow these instructions to jump start your
vehicle's dead battery or to jump start another
vehicle's dead battery using your vehicle. If the
12-volt auxiliary battery to be used is in another
vehicle, check that the vehicles are not touch-
ing to prevent premature completion of a cir-
cuit. Be sure to follow jump starting instruc-
tions provided for the other vehicle.
To jump start your vehicle:
1. Switch off the ignition.
2. First connect the auxiliary battery positive
(+) terminal (1) to the positive (+) terminal in
your vehicle's battery (2), marked with a
"+" sign.
3. Connect the auxiliary battery's negative (–)
terminal (3) to the ground point in your
vehicle's engine compartment near the
driver's side spring strut (4).
4. Start the engine in the assisting vehicle,
then start the engine in the vehicle with
dead battery.
5. After the engine has started, first remove
the negative (–) terminal jumper cable.
Then remove the positive (+) terminal
jumper cable.
WARNING
PROPOSITION 65 WARNING!
Battery posts, terminals, and related acces-
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the state of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harm.
Wash hands after handling.
WARNING
•
Do not connect the jumper cable to any
part of the fuel system or to any moving
parts. Avoid touching hot manifolds.
•
Batteries generate hydrogen gas, which
is flammable and explosive.
•
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do
not allow battery fluid to contact eyes,
skin, fabrics or painted surfaces. If con-
tact occurs, flush the affected area
immediately with water. Obtain medical
help immediately if eyes are affected.
•
Never expose the battery to open flame
or electric spark.
•
Do not smoke near the battery.
•
Failure to follow the instructions for
jump starting can lead to personal
injury.
•
Do not touch the jumper cables during
the attempt to start the vehicle. This
could cause sparks

From the owners manual (page 160)
+ve and -ve have the potential to fry ECU's and other electronic components
+ve and body earth dont

[Tannaton]

You don't say what car or engine type but if it's the 2.0D 4-pot, the alternators are a cheap Ford part and known for giving up the ghost between 100k and 150k miles. Sometimes they go intermittently short circuit and flatten the battery. The interior light has a timer so if you leave it on, it will turn itself off after a while and in any case a healthy battery should easily run a 10w interior light overnight and still start the car.

You would be surprised at the number of new batteries that are faulty, so I would get it checked.

When jump starting, it is best practice to attached the jump leads to the + and - battery terminals of the "donor" car and the "+" battery terminal of the dead car and an - body earth or engine earth. The reason for this is when you disconnect the - lead from the now started dead car there is no risk of igniting gases discharged from the battery. The very best practice is to attach it directly to the engine - this mitigates the small resistance voltage drop in the engine to body earth strap.

It is just best practice though and there is no risk of damaging anything electrical by connecting directly to the batter provided the polarity is correct.

[martins91]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

You don't say what car or engine type but if it's the 2.0D 4-pot, the alternators are a cheap Ford part and known for giving up the ghost between 100k and 150k miles. Sometimes they go intermittently short circuit and flatten the battery. The interior light has a timer so if you leave it on, it will turn itself off after a while and in any case a healthy battery should easily run a 10w interior light overnight and still start the car.

You would be surprised at the number of new batteries that are faulty, so I would get it checked.

When jump starting, it is best practice to attached the jump leads to the + and - battery terminals of the "donor" car and the "+" battery terminal of the dead car and an - body earth or engine earth. The reason for this is when you disconnect the - lead from the now started dead car there is no risk of igniting gases discharged from the battery. The very best practice is to attach it directly to the engine - this mitigates the small resistance voltage drop in the engine to body earth strap.

It is just best practice though and there is no risk of damaging anything electrical by connecting directly to the batter provided the polarity is correct.

Its 2004 2.0d.

I put battery to charge overnight, so will be looking tomorrow further
Maybe dumb question, how to tell if it’s alternotor or batteries fault?

[Montana]

Originally Posted by martins91

Its 2004 2.0d.

I put battery to charge overnight, so will be looking tomorrow further
Maybe dumb question, how to tell if it’s alternotor or batteries fault?

Check the battery voltage when engine is off , you should see 12-12.5V, switch engine on and you should see 14V volts if the alternator is doing its job. If yes then its the battery, if not then its the alternator.

I had battery issues on mine, ended up buying a Bosch S4, hopefully it will outlast my ownership

[SignumGB]

If engine is running and battery light is still on then alternator is knackered. Normally with the alternator running, then there is no voltage potential across the battery indicator lamp. If alternator doesn't generate, then it's the battery voltage which will keep the lamp illuminated.

[IainG]

Hi
I have a 2.0d and have had to replace the alternator twice. One time the charge warning didn't come on.
It is a 150 a alternator and does get very hot. First time just caused the battery to go flat overnight. I recharged the battery, started the engine and the warning light went out but there wasn't enough charge to keep the battery charged.
Second time failed whilst driving, within 15 minutes more and more warning lights came on, just as I parked on the drive the power steering failed then a couple of minutes later the engine stopped.

If the alternator flattens the battery, the battery can also be damaged.
In VIDA there is a test to check the alternator. It simulates different temperatures and the output is checked against set parameters.
The car controls the alternator output agains temperature as well as the alternator controling itself.
Also check you get the correct alternator. I am fairly sure it should be the 150amp one, but check.
Iain

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by IainG

Hi
I have a 2.0d and have had to replace the alternator twice. One time the charge warning didn't come on.
It is a 150 a alternator and does get very hot. First time just caused the battery to go flat overnight. I recharged the battery, started the engine and the warning light went out but there wasn't enough charge to keep the battery charged.
Second time failed whilst driving, within 15 minutes more and more warning lights came on, just as I parked on the drive the power steering failed then a couple of minutes later the engine stopped.

If the alternator flattens the battery, the battery can also be damaged.
In VIDA there is a test to check the alternator. It simulates different temperatures and the output is checked against set parameters.
The car controls the alternator output agains temperature as well as the alternator controling itself.
Also check you get the correct alternator. I am fairly sure it should be the 150amp one, but check.
Iain

On the V50 the electric power steering pump is a heavy load, so without charging the battery will last 15-20 mins tops.